Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-02-17
IN THEIR TOLLS,
The Republican Senate Considered as .
Creature of the Corporations.


Creature of the Corporations
The argus has had occasion, fire.
quently, to call attention to the de-
cadence of the United States Senate
and the enormous influence welded in
that body by corporations. The re-
proach. uttered two years ago, that
''the Senate is merely an association of
railroad attorneys and spectators, not
only useless to the Nation, but posi-
lively injurious to its best in
| terests," acquires more signifi-
canoe in the light of present ex-
perience. We see on every hand the
power and influence of great co~por-
ations cXerted to the utmost to retain
control of body which once repre-
scented the most intellectual most pa
triotic and most incorruptible men in
the Nation. Brains are no longer con-
sidered a necessary qualification for
the office, and Legislatures are beseiged
by moneyed influence to control their
choice for men who, without money,
would never be thought of for seat in
the United States Senate. The compe-
tition to such n seat is no longer
open to men who can intellectually
fill it. The power of the corpO.
rations is being exerted in New
Jersey TO deprive the people of that
Democratic State of the right of be.
ing represented at Washington by
Democratic Senator. The Same
malign influence is felt in Indiana.
and no means, revolutionary or un.
constitutional, is left untried to per-
vert the will of the people and keep
the United States Senate under the
control of the corporations. The
Brooklyn Citizen, that stanch Demo
cratic newspaper, gives a solemn
warning on the subject, which appeals
to the earnest reflection of the Ameri-
can people:
With the upper House OF the National Legis
lature in the hands of INSCRIPTIONS and
banded wealth, the Administration and the
popular branch are alike paralyzed and the
victories won for the plain people by the defeat
OF Mr.. Blaine and redemption OF the House
from Republican control are hopelessly thrown
away. BY every foul means, the Democratic
strength in the Legislatures is undermined by
the money OF the corporations. and the control
is bought for them through the Republicans.
There is no longes the slightest attempt at con-
ceaiinent. The Republican party is openly
owned by the capitalists of the country, and
the rights OF the plain people are; being stolen
from shem.
These corporations know too WE'LL
that only through the Republican party
can their interests be protected, even
when they clash with those of the peo-
pie. 9hey know too we'll that while
the Senate is in Republican, hands no.
bill in the interests of the whole peo-.
pie is likely to be adopted but an un-
surmountable barrier is opposed to the
just and reasonable demands of the
and of labor organizations,
whose growing power they fear. They
know that when they succeed. through
buying up Legislatures, or hulldozing IL
a Democratic Legislature By riotorls
in putting their creatures
again liz control of the Senate, they
will have under their thumb for a term
of years a department of tine Govern
ment so-far beyond the. neaeh of public
opinion as to be practically unaffected
by its ceasure. Albany Argus.